Refrigerating apparatus



- H. B. HULL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 18, 193:;

Jamw 158, 1938. H. EL HULL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Nov. 20, 1955 INVENTOR. Mmwr 3. flux-4.

h "m n ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 18, 1938 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Harry B. Hull, Dayton, hio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application November 20, 1935, Serial No. 50,722

3 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to means for removing moisture, dripping from .a cooling element or evaporator of a refrigerating system, from the refrigerating apparatus.

Various devices have been provided for collecting and removing moisture dripping from an evaporator in a refrigerator in which the machinery compartment is located below the food storage compartment. In such devices, moisture has been conducted by gravity to the machine compartment where it may be dissipated or removed therefrom in several different ways.

It has now become common in the constructicn of mechanical refrigerators or refrigerating systems and particularly refrigerators of the room cooling type to locate the condenser of the system above other elements thereof and to extend the condenser through a window or opening in the wall of the room of the building in which the room cooling apparatus is located. This arrangement is provided so that the condenser will be exposed to atmosphere exteriorly of the building and cooled by the outside atmosphere.

An object of the present invention is to remove moisture dripping from a cooling element of a refrigerating system by means which applies pressure to the body of water flowing from the cooling element.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved means or device for causing fmoisture dripping from a cooling element of a refrigerating system to flow away from the refrigerating apparatus to a point where it may be removed from the apparatus under conditions where gravity drainage is not available.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means or device for causing drip water flowing from a cooling element of a refrigerating apparatus to be trapped and lifted or conducted upwardly of the various elements of the apparatus and particularly upwardly of the drip water receiving or collecting means intermittently in response to the weight of the collected or trapped body of water.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, it is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved means or device for causing drip water flowing from the cooling element or dehumidifier unit of a room cooling or conditioning apparatus to be lifted or conducted upwardly of the various elements of the apparatus and to direct the drip water over the condenser of the apparatus, located exteriorly of the room in which the apparatus is located, to augment cooling of the condenser by atmospheric air.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings;

building and a refrigerating apparatus within a foam in the building adapted to cool and cause circulation of air about the room;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through a portion of the refrigerating apparatus employed to elevate and dispose of drip water flowing from the cooling element of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top planview of a portion of the structure shown in Fig.- 2 and is taken on the line 33 thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 and-taken on the line 6-6 thereof. v

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, there is shown a refrigerating apparatus of the type usually referred to as a room cooling or conditioning apparatus. The refrigerator or room cooling apparatus is disposed in a room l0 provided in a building i i. The refrigerator or room cooling apparatus includes a cabinet generally represented by the reference character l2. Cabinet 112 comprises a framework which is covered by a shell or by vertically dls-' posed metal panels is. The top of cabinet i2 is covered by a closure member M having a plurality of louvered passages l5 provided therein; An electric motor i6 is mounted within cabinet l2 adjacent the top it thereof and is operatively connected to a fan or blower ii. The one face of blower or fan I! is located within an opening it provided in a housing or shroud it. An

evaporator 24 of a refrigerating system, to be presently described; is mounted within cabinet l2 below housing or shroud l9 and fan IT. The sides of the shell or the side panels it of cabinet M are provided with a plurality of openings (not shown) to permit fan or blower ill to draw air and the cooled air is expelled from the cabinet 2 through the louvered openings l5 into the room I8. This action of that portion of the apparatus thus far described creates a circulation of air within room if] and causes the warmer air therein to enter the cabinet |-2 through the openings (not shown) and to be cooled and dried by the room cooling apparatus for increasing the comfort of occupants of the room.

The refrigerating system associated with the room cooling apparatus includes, in addition to the cooling element or evaporator 2|, a compressor 23 operatively connected, through suitable belt and pulley connections 24, to an electric motor 25. Operation of compressor 23 by motor 25 causes gaseous refrigerant or refrigerant evaporated within'the cooling element 2| to be withdrawn therefrom through the refrigerant conveying conduit 26. The compressor 23 compresses the gaseous refrigerant and forwards same under pressure, through conduit 21, to a condenser 28. The condenser 28 may be of any suitable or conventional construction and is preferably mounted within a housing or shroud 29 having an opening 3| in the top wall thereof and an opening 32 provided in the bottom wall thereof. The housing or shroud 29 is preferably secured to the back wall l3 of cabinet [2 and extends through a window or opening 33 provided in the wall of room II] or building Suitable blocks or the like 34 surround the housing 29 to seal the opening 33 through which the housing extends. Any suitable partition or closure member 35 may be provided within the housing 29 to prevent the ingress of atmospheric air, from the outside of building I into the room In through the housing or shroud 29. A fan 36 operated by an electric motor 31 and mounted on brackets 38 within housing or shroud 29 may be employed for circulating atmospheric air externally of building through the shroud 29 and over the condenser 28 for cooling the compressed refrigerant circulated thereto by the condenser 23. The refrigerant cooled and liquefied in condenser 28 flows through the pipe 4| into a receiver-reservoir 42 where it is stored prior to being conducted, through pipe 43, to the evaporator 2| to cause the evaporator to produce a refrigerating effect. An expansion device or valve 44, of any suitable or conventional design, is interposed in the conduit 43 for controlling the flow of liquid refrigerant to the cool'- ing element 2|. The expansion device or valve 44 is operated bymovement of a diaphragm or bellows contained therein and having a conduit connection 45 with a thermostat bulb 46 in response to, expansion and/or contraction of a volatile fluid sealed within the thermostatic system. To effect expansion and/or contraction of the fluid within the thermostatic system and opening or closing of the expansion valve 44, the bulb 46 is secured in intimate thermal contact to the conduit 26 leading from the evaporator 2|. Operations of the motor 25 of the refrigerant liquefying and circulating unit, motor l6 connected to fan or blower l1 and motor 31 connected to fan 36 may be controlled in any suitable and well known manner to those skilled in the art.

J In cooling and causing circulation of the air within room I in the manner described, it is obvious that the air upon being cooled will cause withdrawal of moisture therefrom and will cause the moisture to be deposited upon the coils or refrigerantconduits of the evaporator 2|. After a predetermined amount of moisture accumulates on the evaporator, it flows therefrom and must be conveyed to a point exteriorly of room ID in order to prevent rehumidifying of the air in the room. I provide a pan or the like and position this pan below the cooling element 2| so that the moisture will flow in the form of drip water thereinto. The bottom of pan 5| slopes downwardly to a conduit connection 52, which conduit conveys the drip Water from the pan into a device, generally represented by the reference character 53 and, having a pipe 54 leading upwardly therefrom to a Water distributing header 55 mounted above the condenser 28 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. The device 53 is mounted beneath the top wall of the machine compartment of the room cooling apparatus I2 by suitable brackets 55.

Thedevice 53 is a means for removing drip water, flowing from the cooling element or evaporator 2|, upwardly of the drip pan 5l,-device 53 and other elements of the refrigerant liquefying and circulating unit to a point above the condenser 28 and, therefore, this device conveys the drip water from the refrigerating apparatus and exteriorly of the room Hi and building II. The device 53 includes a casting 60 enclosed within and secured to the casing or covering 6| (see Fig. 2) which is secured to the cabinet l2 by the brackets 56. Casting 60 of device 53 includes a vertically disposed portion 62 having an integral hub '63 extending horizontally therefrom. Hub 63 forms a pivot for an arm 64 having a collar portion 65 which surrounds the hub. The hub 63 is provided with two hollowed-out or drilled openings 66 and 6! which are connected to and communicate with the pipes or conduits 52 and 54 respectively. Openings or passages '58 and 69 communicating with and extending from the openings 66 and 61, respectively, to the outer cylindrical face of hub 63 are provided for a purpose to be presently described. A nut or the like 1| (see Fig. 3) may be secured to hub 63 in any suitable and well known manner to hold the arm 64 upon the hub. The arm 64 has an opening 12 extending therethrough and communicating with the interior of a closed receptacle or tank 13 which is secured to the free movable end of the arm. A branch conduit or passage 14 leads'from opening or passage I2 in arm 64 to the inner cylindrical face of the collar portion 65 thereof. It will be noted that the distance between the opening or passage 12 and the opening or passage I4 at the face of the inner surface of collar portion 65 are spaced a shorter distance apart than the openings or passages 68 and 69 provided in the hub 63. The reason for the difference in spacing of these passages at the point described, will become apparent in the explanation of the operation of the device. The collar portion 65 of arm 64 is provided with an outwardly extending lug or cam 1'6. A pressure applying means in the form of a pivotally mounted arm 1! having a roller 18 secured thereto is provided with a spring 19 for forcing the roller 18 into engagement with the collar portion 65 of arm 64 and the roller 18 is disposed in the path of movement of the lug or cam 16. When movement of arm 64 is affected, the pressure applied to the arm .by the spring 19 causes the arm to be quickly moved into its lower or upper position by movement of cam 16 beyond the roller 18. A sealed glass tube 8| containing mercury and having electric contacts 82 and 83 sealed thereto and extending into the tube 8| forms a switch which is secured by a bracket 84-to arm 64 (see receptacle. One end of spring 85 is secured to a bracket 86 bolted or otherwise fastened to a horizontally extending portion 81 of casting '69.

A finger 88 secured to can or receptacle I3 is adapted to engage the bracket 86 to limit or stop the upward movement of arm 64 at, a predetermined point. A closed tank or sealed container 89 mounted upon the portion 81 of casting 60 has an electric resistance coil 9I positioned therein and mounted upon a suitable insulating block and which coil forms. a heater for heating and causing expansion of air w h n the tank 89. The top wall of receptacle 13 has a fitting 92 provided therein for receiving one end of a flexible conduit 93. The opposite end of the conduit 93 is secured to a fitting 96 provided in one wall of the sealed or closed tank 89. The res stance coil forming the heater 9| is connected in series with an electric circuit (not shown) leading to the contacts 82 and 83and is adapted to he energized when the electric circuit is completed by mercury in tube 8| bridging the contacts 82 and 83.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated my inventionin combination with a room cooling apparatus wherein water withdrawn from the air being cooled by the cooling element or evaporator of a refrigerating system drips therefrom and is caused to be elevated'above the drip water catching or collecting means and caused to flow over the condenser of the refrigerating system, my invention is also useful in all other installations of refrigerating systems where the drip water cannot be removed from the apparatus by gravity flow therefrom. For example, my improved apparatus may be disposed in a room or apartment located above another room or apartment through which a gravity flow water conveying drain pipe cannot be extended, thus necessitating the drip water to be elevated and then. conveyed by gravity through a conduit or pipe which extends downwardly through an elevator shaft provided in the building or which extends downwardly on the exterior of the building.

When moisture or water drips from the cooling unit or air dehumidifyer 2|, located in the cabinet I2 of the apparatus, this moisture or drip water is conveyed by pan conduit 52, passages 66 and 68 in the hub 63 of device 53, and passage I2 into the can or receptacle I3. As the level of water collected in the receptacle I3 rises to a predetermined point in can or receptacle I3, the weight of the drip water overcomes the weight of arm 64 and the tension of spring 85 and causes the arm-and receptacle I3 to move downwardly about the pivot hub 63. In moving downwardly the arm causes the top of cam I6 to ride past the roller I8 and the tension of spring I9 thus augments the downward movement of arm 64 to cause a quick movement thereof. This movement of arm 64 moves the passage I2 formed therein "out of communication with the passage 68, passage 66 and conduit 52 and also moves the branch coil 9|. Energization of the coil 9| causes same to produce a heating efiect in the sealed tank or compartment 89. Air within the tank 89 is expanded upon being heated by the resistance coil 9i and flo'ws through the flexible conduit 93 into the closed Waterreceptacle 13. The heated air creates a pressure upon or above the body of drip Waterv in receptacle I3 and causes the Water to be expelled therefrom through the passages 69 and 61. The conduit 54 communicating with passage 67 conveys the water upwardly of the water removing device 53 and other elements of the refrigerating apparatus to the distributing header 55 positioned above the condenser 28 of the refrigerating system. The drip water removed from and upwardly of the receptacle I3 may be directed to a drain, but it is preferable in the present invention to cause this water to be distributed over and in contact with the various pipes or conduits comprising the condenser 28 to cool the condenser or to augment cooling thereof. For example, the drip water may be distributed by header 55 over the condenser 28 so that air cir culated through the shroud or housing 29 by fan open the electric circuit to the heating coil 9|. Air trapped within the receptacle I3, conduit 93 and tank 89 again .cools and is backed up into the tank 89 by further flow of drip water from the cooling element 2| through conduit 52, passage 66, passage 68 and passage I2 into the receptacle I3. It being understood, of course, that the branch passagefld of passage I2 is out of communication with'the passages 69 and 6'! and conduit54 when; the device 53 is in a position to receive drip water from conduit 52. Obviously the water removing cycles of the device 53 as described continue, periodically as long as water is dripping from the cooling element and directed into the collector or receptacle I3 of the device.

It will be apparent eifective and improved means for elevating drip water, flowingfrom an evaporator of .a room cooling apparatus, to a point above the apparatus, where the water may then flow by gravity to a drain without attention on the part of the user of the apparatus. My improved means permits the drip water flowing from an evaporator of a room cooling apparatus to be utilized for augmenting the cooling of the condenser of the refrigerating system, which condenser may be cated above other elements of the refrigerating system and extended through an openingor window of the room above the apparatus. I thus eliminate the necessity of manually emptying a drain pan of a room cooling apparatus and this is particularly advantageous in apartments or oflice buildings where at times there is no attendant in the building. My invention also eliminates the necessity of extending a gravity flow drain pipe through a room located below the room in which my improved apparatus is disposed.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms that I have provided an might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a portable unitary structure including an element which dehumidifies air and which is adapted to have water dripping therefrom, means connected to a source of energy for circulating a fluid through said element to cause same to dehumidify the air, means for catching the drip water from said element, said drip water catching means having an inlet for conveying the drip water thereinto and an outlet adapted to conduct drip water therefrom, means for closing said inlet and for creating a pressure in said drip water catching means, said last named means including means disposed in the air above water in said catching means and deriving energy from said source of energyfor said fluid circulating means for heating and expanding the air above the water in said catching means, and a conduit connected to said outlet and extending upwardly above said drip water catching means, said pressure creating means being eifective to force water from said drip watercatching means through said conduit.

2. In combination, a portable unitary structure including an element which dehumidifies air and which is adapted to have water dripping therefrom, means connected to a source of energy for circulating a fiuid through said element to cause same to dehumidify the air, means for catching the drip water from said element, said drip water catching means having an inlet for conveying the drip water thereinto and an outlet adapted to conduct drip Water therefrom, means for closing said inlet and'for creating a pressure in said drip water catching means, said last named means including means disposed in the air above Water in said catching means and deriving energy from said source of energy for said fluid circulating means for heating and expanding the air above the water in said catching means, and a conduit connected to said outlet and extending upwardly above said drip Water catching means, said pressure creating means being normally ineffective and rendered effective automatically in response to the flow of a predetermined amount of drip water from said element to said catching means to force water from said drip Water catching means through said conduit.

3. In combination, a portable unitary structure including an element which dehumidifies air and which is adapted to have water dripping therefrom, means connected to a source of energy for circulating a fluid through said element 'to cause same to dehumidify the air, means for catching the drip water from said element, said drip water catching means having an inlet for conveying the drip Water thereintoand an outlet adapted to conduct drip water therefrom, means for closing said inlet and for creating a pressure in said drip water catching means, said last named means including means disposed in the air above water in said catching means and deriving energy from said source of energy for said fluid circulating means for heating and expanding the air above the water in said catching means, and a conduit connected to said outlet and extending upwardly above said drip Water catching means, said pressure creating means being normally inefiective and rendered efiective automatically in response to the weight of Water accumulated in said catching means to force water therefrom through said conduit.

HARRY B. HULL. 

